Many surgical procedures require connecting vessels, hollow organs, and other structures, collectively body lumens. While some of these vessels are large and more easily manipulated by a surgeon, other body lumens are small and more difficult to manipulate and hold into position. These procedures typically use devices that employ staples, clamps, or sutures. Radical prostatectomy is an example of such a procedure.
Radical prostatectomy is an established method for treatment of patients with localized carcinoma of the prostate. Unfortunately, impotence and incontinence are frequent occurrences from many known radical prostatectomy procedures. Prostatectomy usually involves division of the urethra at the apex of the prostate and the bladder neck and removal of the prostate. After removal of the prostate, the stump of the urethra can retract into the adjacent tissue, the urogenital diaphragm, making the urethra difficult to grasp. The stump of the urethra and the bladderneck are then brought together and sutured. Most procedures performed to approximate the urethra and the bladderneck require the surgeon to grasp the end of the transected urethra and stretch it to the mating end of the bladderneck with one hand. Such grasping can cause additional trauma to the cut ends of the urethral stump and the bladderneck. Additionally, if the urogenital diaphragm is nicked during the procedure, the patient may become incontinent.
A need presently exists for apparatus and methods that facilitate approximating the urethral stump and the bladderneck after a radical prostatectomy has been performed, without traumatizing the vessels.